Columbus Blooms

03-21-2026 05-03-2026 DURING GENERAL ADMISSION & SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS

A dazzling celebration of spring! More than 140,000 tulips, daffodils, and pansies throughout the gardens and container displays combine with stars of the botanical garden. Magnolias, lilacs, cherries, viburnum, and thousands of perennials bring an exciting burst of scents and colors after a long winter slumber.

Plants bloom throughout the season starting in March and continuing through the following months.

Spring Blooms Report: Week of April 21, 2026 The gardens are preparing for summer, with new plants coming into bloom each day and fresh growth filling in across the landscape.

Tulips are wrapping up—this is the final week to catch them; many still look beautiful in the Grand Mallway. Pansies continue to look great, especially the Rainbow Bed in the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden.

Late-spring bulbs are starting to show, including Alliums with their large purple spheres, along with Spanish bluebells and Camassia in shades of blue and purple. Bearded iris and dwarf crested iris are also in bloom.

Trees are a major highlight this week. Fringe tree is in bloom with soft, lacy white flowers that give it a light, airy look. Black locust stands out with cascading clusters of pink blooms. Umbrella magnolia is now flowering, with large, creamy white blossoms set against its oversized leaves, while Ohio buckeye blooms are beginning to emerge, showing upright clusters of soft yellow flowers.

Shrubs add strong color, fragrance, and structure throughout the gardens. Lilacs are in full bloom, filling the air with their classic sweet scent and dense clusters of pink and purple flowers. Slender deutzia is covered in small white to soft pink blooms along arching branches. Trumpet honeysuckle stands out with bright tubular flowers in warm shades of red, orange, and yellow, while flowering abelia is beginning to produce delicate pink blooms that will continue to develop over the coming weeks.

Perennials are continuing to build momentum, with more coming into bloom each day. Red columbine adds bright pops of color and movement, while creeping mazus forms low mats of small purple-blue flowers along edges and pathways. Amsonia is beginning to flower with soft blue star-shaped blooms, adding a lighter texture to the plantings. Many other perennials are filling in quickly, and even where plants are not yet in bloom, fresh foliage is creating a lush, layered look. Ferns are unfurling, and hostas are expanding, contributing to the rich textures of spring.

Plan your visit soon to enjoy this beautiful season.

Sponsor a Bulb Spring represents a renewal of hope. It's the perfect time to celebrate or remember a loved one. There are many ways to make a Tribute Gift at the Conservatory, including sponsoring Columbus Blooms bulbs. A gift of $25 sponsors 5 bulbs in the exhibition. To make a tribute gift, use the link below and select the "Tribute Bulbs" checkbox if you'd like to sponsor bulbs.

Make A Tribute Gift